While You Were Gone
by Mira Lea
Summary: Chihiro returns to the Spirit World nine years later, sans memory of her adventures. The denizens of the bath house remember her, however, and not all of them are happy to see her return. Nine years have not changed much, except that Yubaba resents Chihiro more than ever, and has laid a plan to trap Chihiro should she ever return.
1. Chapter 1

Legal Disclaimer: This is a fanfic. I own none of the characters, nor the setting. Don't sue me.

**While You Were Gone**

**Chapter One**

* * *

Her leg spasmed, the muscles taking a moment to freak out and jerk her into wakefulness. She had been dead asleep, it seemed, and a confused and bleary-eyed look around was necessary before she fully comprehended where she was and who she was with. She had been having a most vivid dream, rain, a bridge, a river, and several cars. There had been some strange occurrence in the dream, something that had sent her stumbling back into wakefulness. As quick as she tried to catch her dream and remember it, however, it flitted away. Likely, she'd never remember the full details, and even the hazy ones were beginning to disperse.

That left her with few options, so she decided to focus on the waking world. A smile formed as someone called her name, and she got to her feet, stretching her arms above her head with a content sigh. She'd been here before.

The entrance was still there. Beyond the tunnel and the waiting area, the fields and the vendor stalls were still visible, though Chihiro would swear she had never seen them from anywhere else in town. Even from her home, which had been at the end of the street on a hill that should have overlooked the park, none of it had ever been noted from outside the tunnel that led to it. Kazuo had found the entrance while biking down an overgrown road a few weeks previous. Seeing it for the first time in nine years (outside of her dreams) raised a host of feelings within her. Confusion, anxiety, even a hint of fear, had all filled her. Every step down the tunnel had made her feel uneasy, as though she should not be here.

Their investigation of the old "amusement park" had seemed such a silly, trivial thing. It would be fun, skipping their last day of class and spending it in an abandoned park. Kazuo had found the entrance while biking down an overgrown road a few weeks previous. They had picnicked on the lawn that led down to a creek, and had spent the better part of the late morning and early afternoon playing games. They'd thrown a Frisbee around, had played a mortifying kissing game, and had eventually succumbed to truth or dare. And even though they'd come to explore the abandoned stalls and buildings, even dares to cross the creek and immerse themselves in the old architecture had proven useless.

The buildings – old and abandoned as they seemed – exuded an air of danger, and the closer the teenagers got to them, the more they felt watched. The more their skin seemed to prickle as their hair tried to rise. Even in the day time, it seemed to say "do not disturb".

"Chihiro! C'mon! This place is boring. We're going to go back to the car! Mako said we can go to her place."

Her head turned, her soft brown hair drifting into her eyes with the breeze. She smiled. "Aww, but I was going to try and cross the creek!"

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Chihiro. Come on. Let's get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."

"No really. I want to go explore. Go on ahead, just leave my bike at the tunnel entrance!" She grinned, trying to let him know she was serious.

"Chihiro…"

"Kazuo. I will be fine! I just want to look around. Besides, Mako wants to have some alone time with you."

Even from several meters away, she could see the blush on Kazuo's cheeks. "H-he does?!"

"Well duh! You're leaving for Tokyo tomorrow. When's he going to have another chance? Listen, just tell Mako and the others that I'll catch up to you later tonight. I don't really want to leave yet."

"O-okay. If you say so. You're sure Mako wanted some alone time with me?" Kazuo sounded mystified.

"Positive. Go get him." She winked at the boy, who still hesitated.

"Why do you want to look around so bad, Chihiro? Not two hours ago you were saying this place gave you the creeps?"

That made her pause, and she frown, twisting a hair-tie around her wrist slowly. It was one she'd had since she moved here. Unlike all her other hair-ties, it hadn't broken with age. Sometimes, she swore that it glittered and gleamed in certain light, though she had no idea how a basic hair-tie could do that.

"I don't know, Kazuo. I just feel like I need to go look around. Maybe I just want to push myself."

Kazuo gazed at her, a frown on his lips as he slowly closed the distance between them. He looked in her eyes, his own brown nearly a perfect match to hers. He put his hands on her shoulders, then briefly drew her in for a hug. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I promise. Now go. Have hot make-outs with Mako, all right?"

That got the reaction she wanted. Kazuo laughed, and with another hug he nodded, then pulled away and jogged up to the tunnel. Chihiro watched him go, her back to the abandoned theme park. When she was sure that her friends were gone, waiting a solid ten minutes, she turned, frowning.

Time had changed her. Age had given her a bit more height, a bit more feminine definition to her body, and had taken the last of the baby chub from her face. In the nine years since she last stepped foot through the tunnel, she had grown into a woman. Time had also taken away her memories of the Spirit World (or perhaps something else had). After the rescue of her parents, she'd left. They had reached the end of the tunnel, and from there, the adventures in the bath house had become hazy. Her memories seemed more like a dream, a vivid creation from the depths of her mind.

Only the lessons she learned had really stuck with her. Even her parents had noticed the difference in her. Their "brief" foray into the spirit world had transformed Chihiro into a confident, optimistic girl. Beyond that, the Spirit World was a dream. The bath house was a flight of fancy. Sure, kids could be spiteful toward their parents, but Chihiro always marveled that her subconscious liked to curse them into becoming _pigs_!

To stand and stare at a scene from her dreams, however, suddenly brought new questions to mind about those dreams she had. This place was perfect, down to the pebbles in the creek bed and the colors of the buildings. She took a deep breath and started across the grass. She'd abandoned her tennis shoes back by the tunnel entrance. She wore a pair of jean capris and a bright red tank top, her school uniform stashed in her bag (also beside the tunnel entrance). A casual day spent in the warm weather of late spring. If she had remembered what would come of crossing the creek, she might have gone back for her shoes.

She hopped from one large rock to the other, a memory of her father saying, "_They meant to put a river here_." Briefly, she paused and glanced over her shoulder. For some reason she felt as if she were making a very final decision. It had the feeling of the end of a chapter in her life. She'd felt this way before, though she couldn't remember the specifics. Something related to that tunnel. Something related to the dreams of this place that flitted around her memory, just out of reach. Unaware of why she did, she took a deep breath and turned her back on the creek, on the tunnel, and on her friends and family. Ahead of her, the seemingly abandoned stalls waited. She trudged up the stairs and stepped into the spider web of small streets and vendor stations.

She could smell food. She inhaled deeply, following the scent down the main thoroughfare. She stopped at the small splinter street where the scent strengthened, and her eyes widened.

"But…this is…" She trailed off, walking forward to place a hand on the counter. A feast lay before her – and so did a memory. Her parents sat on the stools to either side of her. They shoveled food into their mouths as fast as they could, and she could hear her mother telling her to try some of the delicious meal.

"_Chihiro, you have to try this!" "Mmmff. So good" "Mmm. Mhm." "Mustard?" "Fank you." The conversation had gone from words to grunts._ Chihiro shook her head, stepping back from the stall both in her memory and in the present.

"It was just a dream. So why does it seem real?" She whispered the words, almost scared that someone would answer.

Her feet carried her down a path that seemed familiar, as though she'd been down it before. Perhaps she had. Up the stairs, the bath house grew in size. She got steadily closer, able to see the full height, the full glamour and splendor of the place. A bridge spanned a ravine, leading to the bath house on its own island. At first glance, it appeared abandoned. She walked up on the pale wooden planks, glancing over the rails of the bridge at the train tracks below.

In the space of time it took to look down, then back up and ahead, he had appeared.

He was older, maybe a year or two older than her, and he was handsome. His hair had grown longer, still the same blue-green color, his eyes as deep as the ocean, as old and knowing as the earth itself. All of these thoughts went through Chihiro's mind before she could process them, and she inhaled sharply. "Who ar-"

"Why are you here? You shouldn't have come back, Chihiro. You weren't supposed to come back!" He took a step toward her and she fell back a step, which gave him pause. "You don't remember, yet."

"Remember what? How do you know my name?" She frowned, her lips pressing tightly together as she stared at him. "And why is it a big deal if I'm here. I didn't see any signs saying that no trespassers were allowed."

The man's face flashed briefly with amusement. A slight smile formed at his lips, making his already handsome features that much more so. He was tall and lean, easy to shrug off at first glance as weak or too skinny. As Chihiro watched him, however, she realized that the man before her was anything but weak or too skinny. He had a certain aura to him, a tension like a cord wound just a little too tight around a wheel, or river water held back by a dam. The thought sparked a brief memory of a boy who could have, possibly, been a younger version of this man.

Was he the boy from her dreams? Haru…? No. Haku. But that was ridiculous, and Chihiro shook her head. Meanwhile, the man had let his faint smile disappear, instead studying her with a serious expression. It wasn't disappointment, but Chihiro couldn't place the emotion behind it. Perhaps that was how the man preferred it.

"It's too soon, Chihiro. You need to go back before it's too late."

"Too late for what? And how do you know my name?" She rested her hands on her hips, and the only thing she could have done to make her look more aggravated would have been to stamp her foot.

"I can't tell you that. You'll remember in time, but it's too soon."

"Too soon, too late. Why won't you just answer my questions? Nothing good ever came from people acting all mysterious like you are!"

"And nothing good ever came of revealing things before they were meant to be revealed. You'll understand in the future."

An irritated huff escaped her, and she blew a few stray strands of hair out of her face. "I know this place. I feel like I know you. Why won't you just tell me?"

"You're arguing in circles, Chihiro."

"You started it!"

Instead of getting frustrated back, the man simply laughed, and the sound gave her pause. It was a good laugh, a good sound. The laugh was rich and warm, and it seemed to her as though it were the kind of laugh that didn't get used very often. She exhaled a breath she didn't know she had been holding and instead tried a different tactic.

"What is this place?"

His mirth faded, just a bit, and he shook his head. "Unless it comes to you on your own, I can't tell you that."

An irritated sound escaped her throat and she closed her eyes. "You would put Dumbledore to shame," she complained.

"Dumbledore?"

"You know…Harry Potter? British book series. Popular worldwide? J.K. Rowling? Wizarding world. Kids on broomsticks with wands?" None of it seemed to make sense to him. His face didn't light up with understanding. He simply regarded her with a puzzled expression. She closed her eyes and brought her left hand up to rub the bridge of her nose.

"You should leave," he said.

"You keep saying things like that…Is it really such a big deal to be here?"

She fished a hair tie from her pocket, the same hair-tie she'd had since she'd last been to this place. She didn't remember where she'd got it, but she did know it was the sturdiest, longest lasting hair-tie she'd ever had. It glinted briefly in the sunlight, and the man's eyes widened when he saw it. Chihiro didn't notice as she pulled her shoulder-length strands up into a high ponytail.

"It is. You're…trespassing…as you said. And you don't want to be here after sundown."

Rather than make her uncomfortable or scared, that revelation piqued her interest. A smile formed on her lips, and she tilted her head to one side. "Why not? Is this place haunted? I'd love to have a ghost story to tell my friends."

"You don't want to tell them this ghost story," he uttered the words with a weary sigh.

"Why not?"

"Because you won't survive it if you stay."

A cold chill went down her spine, and her lips pursed. "Listen, there is no reason to threaten me. I will leave if you're that insistent on it. But I just want to know more about this place."

"Knowing more is what will get you hurt. Things are different when night falls. And things are even more dangerous right now. You just can't be here."

"But –"

"Chihiro, just trust me. Please? You did once before. And I know you don't remember me, but can you find it in your heart to trust me again?"

The earnest tone and the way he looked at her were enough to halt her from an immediate rejection. Instead, she hesitated, trying to pull the memory from the depths of her mind. Haku, the boy in her dreams: this man looked an awful lot like him. Like a grown up version of the boy who was so frequently her guide. They were just dreams, weren't they? She frowned, swallowed hard, and then nodded.

A relieved – albeit sad – sigh escaped him and his shoulders sagged in his relief. Even if she wound up not remembering him, the concern he had for her was palpable. A memory of the boy giving her the same sad and relieved look flashed through her mind, of him saying good bye to her and promising they would meet again one day. It was just a dream, wasn't it?

"Just a dream," she said, voice soft and breathy.

"Chihiro?" His voice held concern as he stepped forward once more, touching her shoulder. She blinked a few times, as though trying to get something out of her eyes, and then shook her head.

"I just...You remind me of someone. A dream I have a lot. Have had ever since I moved here."

The man simply smiled. A twinkle in his eye suggested he knew the exact dream. The way he treated her suggested they knew each other. They had been dreams, but she found herself increasingly uncertain of that particular fact. She did remember the abrupt change in her attitude, her feelings of confidence after she and her parents had exited that tunnel. It felt as though a piece of the puzzle were missing. A large piece. She frowned, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"You know," she said. He simply nodded. "But you can't say." Again, he nodded. "And you need me to leave before dark." A final nod, and he caught her by the hand to lead her away. She followed him with surprisingly little resistance, falling into step with an old familiarity. Something resonated from this scene, this situation. As if she'd been led through this place by his hand before.

When they reached the far side of the vendor shops, however, a curse escaped his lips. It didn't take long for her to figure out why. Even though the sun still shone brightly above, the creek had turned into a vast expanse of water. She couldn't even see the train station building. It had been lost. Memories trembled at the edge of her consciousness, and she inhaled sharply as she stared.

"Where...what is…" She started her questions, but never finished them. She dropped to her knees, staring in shock across the water.

"She knows you're here." He commented quietly. "And she doesn't want you to leave. I hoped to get you away before she realized…"

Chihiro didn't respond, instead staring in a mixture of fear and awe at the water stretched out before her. It had happened before. She could feel it to the core of her soul. But her memories refused to cooperate, flitting just out of reach like a tantalizing treat she was too short to grab.

A hand appeared in front of her face, holding a few small, purplish-red berries. "You need to eat something from this realm," he said, voice gentle.

She took one of the berries, not even questioning the logic of staying in a "realm". She popped the berry into her mouth and bit it. A tart flavor exploded on her tongue, and with it came memories. A memory of her fear as she huddled and cried, and as the boy forced a berry onto her, made her eat it before she disappeared. She looked up at the man beside her, and swallowed hard.

"Haku?"

A slight smile formed, and he ducked his head. "You remember?"

"Not everything," she admitted, swallowing hard. "But I remember you gave me the berries before. I know that I...I know you. I just can't find the finer details."

He nodded, smile disappearing as he did so. She remembered something, but it clearly wasn't as much as he had hoped.

"Can you tell me what I can't remember? Fill in the blanks?"

"No. You have to remember on your own. If I interfere...she'll cause problems for me."

He said it again. "She" will cause problems. "She" knew that Chihiro was there. While Chihiro pondered this, another memory came back. Her name here, in this realm, it had been Sen. And the woman who had renamed her–

"Yubaba," she said. "She was the one who kept my parents as pigs. And she...she...what else did she do." She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead as though it would help her remember.

Haku held his hand out to her, and when she looked up she took hold of it, letting him pull her to her feet.

"Yubaba runs the bath house, yes. Come on. We should go. She wants to see you."

Something continued to wriggle at the back of Chihiro's mind, but she only nodded. They didn't rush through the vendor stalls. Instead, Haku led her at a leisurely place. If Yubaba knew she was here, then they might as well take their time, right? That was, in Chihiro's estimation, what Haku was thinking.

"I wonder if there's a way to speed up my memory."

"Maybe. Has anything particular been triggering it?"

"I think...It seems like retracing my footsteps is what's doing it."

A thoughtful "hmm" escaped him, and Chihiro glanced at him from the corner of her eyes.

"You got older." A moment passed and a blush stained her cheeks. "Well. I mean. Of course you got older. I...Just. What I mean is…"

"My appearance ages as I choose. I could still look like I did when you were ten. I thought staying close to your relative age was a better idea, though. Was I wrong?"

She blushed a little darker. "No. No, you weren't wrong." He smiled, and she timidly returned that smile, not sure what to think.

"I thought you might feel that way. I'm glad I guessed correctly." He looked a _little_ too pleased with himself, which caused Chihiro to blush a darker shade of pink, but also made her want to rib him a bit, too.

"Making sure a girl who can't even remember you thinks you're handsome? Now I really wish I knew the full extent of what happened between us."

It was Haku's turn to blush, and then both of them laughed. "You'll remember in time."

There was a sound like air rushing through the trees, and a rustling of skirts, and then a woman's voice, older and a little raspy in sound. "I so hate to interrupt this reunion…" She wheezed and laughed. "Oh who am I kidding? I love to interrupt this reunion. My dear Sen. I thought I'd never find you here again. We have so much catching up to do."

* * *

A/N: It has been a long time since I've written fan fiction. It's been almost a decade since I last _finished _a piece of fan fiction. I place a lot of my reason for beginning this fic at the feet of the artist Viria, who recently posted a pic of Chihiro and Haku reuniting after several years. I've always wanted to write a story based on that idea, so here is the first chapter of that.

Reviews, comments, and critiques are always welcome. Like I said, it's been a long time since I've really dedicated myself to writing fan fiction. I am also very interested in beta readers/editors who will go over follow-up chapters for me before I publish them. If you're interested, please feel free to drop me a line.

Enjoy the story! No promises on when the next chapter will go up, but I am hoping to keep myself driven and get this fic written.


	2. Chapter 2

Legal Disclaimer: This is a fanfic. I own none of the characters, nor the setting. Don't sue me.

**While You Were Gone**

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Nine years had not changed the ostentatious decor of the bath house. Yubaba had prided herself on offering high class service to the spirits in a building that gleamed with wealth. That much had definitely not changed. Chihiro frowned, trying to remember specifics from her dreams - no, her past - but her memories stayed securely hidden. Frustration threatened to bubble up inside of her. She wanted to remember. She wanted to understand her relationship with Haku, to understand what had happened between herself and Yubaba that the old hag had purposefully trapped her here.

Yubaba's office had not changed. The entire scene held eerie similarities to the first time she had come here. The only - and perhaps most important - difference was Haku's presence as a friend. Chihiro fidgeted slightly, twisting the hem of her tank top between the fore and middle fingers of her left hand. She shifted her weight to her left foot, and scuffed the carpet with her right. It felt plush beneath her toes, as soft as it looked.

Yubaba settled behind her desk with a pleased grin, leaning back in her seat. "Now then. Nice and settled. Isn't that right. Sit, sit."

She waved her hand as she spoke, and a chair flew away from the wall and came to rest behind Chihiro, nudging insistently at the back of her knees. Rather than act stubborn, she sat. Haku settled into a seat beside her, and the silence stretched between the three of them. Sitting in Yubaba's presence felt wrong, as though something terrible might happen. To sit before her felt too much like she considered them equals. Chihiro didn't remember enough to be certain, but she had a feeling that Yubaba didn't consider anyone her equal.

The witch lit up a thick cigar, and Chihiro frowned. While it wasn't entirely out of character, the image seemed wrong...it didn't fit with something her subconscious knew. Haku sat in studied silence. He stared at Yubaba. His gaze bored into the witch, challenging and more than a little unfriendly.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Haku. You've worked for me long enough to know what this is about."

A nasty smile spread on her lips, and Chihiro felt a shiver pass through her. The sinister smile made her feel a lot like a fly caught in a spider's web. She could only wait while the spider began to wrap her in it's silk.

"What do you want with Chihiro," Haku asked. Ice had nothing on how cold his voice sounded.

"You know what I want." Yubaba exhaled. Smoke hung heavy around her, curling around her massive head and mountain of hair like a snake.

"But I don't," Chihiro said.

Yubaba frowned at her. Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned through the smoke to stare Chihiro down. "Don't know? Do you expect me to belie-"

"Her memories are still lost." The words came with an almost pained sound from Haku, and Chihiro looked from him to Yubaba in confusion. The witch was smiling all too happily at those words.

"Doesn't remember me, hmm? At least not in full. Not yet." A delighted cackle escaped her. "But I suppose you won't let me get her secured in the wrong kind of contract, will you Haku?"

Relief spread through Chihiro as Haku nodded. He looked so serious beside her. She felt like a dope, fidgeting uncomfortably. She knew she had to have that stupid, confused look on her face that she always seemed to get. A bewildered, doe-eyed stare as her mother liked to say. She cleared her throat, drawing both Yubaba's and Haku's attention to her.

"What do you want?"

Yubaba regarded her over her cigar. "You cost me a lot, brat. You owe me something for all the damage you caused." She sniffed.

"B-but...that can't be right. I...I won a contest. And that freed me from debts. It free my parents and me."

"Wrong! It let you leave without hindrance! I never agreed to wipe your debts away entirely!"

"But-"

"No buts. You have a hefty debt to me. Not to mention kidnapping my baby, conspiring with my sister." Yubaba sniffed angrily. "I should kill you where you sit! Oh sit down, you stupid dragon. I said should. It doesn't mean I'm going to."

Haku had been on his feet so fast that Chihiro hadn't seen him move. He sat slowly, his eyes glowing an eerie silver color. Smoke curled from his parted lips, and he bared his teeth at Yubaba. The witch had the decency to look a little uneasy as she watched him.

"So...you want me to do what," Chihiro asked. She sounded hesitant, but the question did have the effect she wanted. Haku stood down, Yubaba relaxed.

"Work for me again, of course. You haven't learned much since you left, have you?" Instead of anger, Chihiro simply stared. Yubaba's smile faded just a bit, and she harrumphed. "You will work with no wages received until you have paid back what you owe."

"Do you have an itemized list of what I owe? How much standard wages are here at the bath house?"

The questions caught Yubaba off guard. Despite her lack of memory, Chihiro had been going to school for the past few years. She had worked part time the past few years to build a stronger resume and to reinforce her work ethic. And she had learned that you never agreed to anything without a written contract that you had read fully. Her first adventure in the Spirit World had taught her that - in part - and a rather terrible first job in the real world had taught her the rest. Haku glanced at Chihiro, and amusement crinkled the corners of his eyes. He radiated pleasure at her outsmarting Yubaba. The respect and approval made Chihiro feel warm from head to toe, and she smiled at him while Yubaba fished papers from folders on her desk.

"Now. Here it is. The total destruction that you caused me by letting that filthy monster into the bath house that we still have not recoup-"

"In nine years, you haven't managed to make up for that damage? Has the bath house fallen on hard times?"

Yubaba sputtered, then glared. "The bath house is carrying on perfectly well, you little brat. It's the principle of the matter. You cost me money. And I don't like losing money. Since you obviously can't just repay me from your own pocket-" she eyed Chihiro dismissively "-working for me is the next best thing. I get free labor until you repay me what you owe."

It seemed, to Chihiro, to be a useless way to do things, but she considered how often Yubaba would take any tips she made on top of her wages. That could add up quickly, when the witch was allowed to take any and all gold that Chihiro earned. She frowned as she gazed at Yubaba. She leaned back, her hands clasped and resting on top of her knees.

"I want to keep ten percent of my wages. For any expenses that might come up. Trading gold for something special from the employees or something."

Yubaba considered this, eyeing her warily. Haku didn't look pleased at the situation, but he didn't argue against Chihiro signing the contract. He could try to get her out of the Spirit World, but he could only go so far before she had to go it alone. Similarly, he doubted Yubaba would let them get very far. And then, of course, the question remained if the Spirit Realm would let her leave at all.

"Fine. Ten percent. No more."

"How much do I owe the bath house. And how much are standard wages?"

"You owe the bath house a lot of gold."

"That's not an amount."

"Fine!" Yubaba said the word sharply, flicking her fingers and sending the paper rocketing toward Chihiro. She plucked it from the air and looked down at the figures. Her eyes widened and she glanced up at Yubaba.

"You have got to be kidding. There are charges on here that have nothing to do with Noface."

"Now liste-"

Haku had shifted, ever so slightly, and Yubaba fell silent.

"You can't leave the Spirit World without my say. You should take what I offer you."

Chihiro smiled faintly and glanced up at her. "My staying here means more to you than my being stuck here matters to me, though."

Silence stretched between them, and as Chihiro stared at her, a vague memory of her sister surfaced.

"Besides. I can always go to your sister's if need be. I can follow the train tracks to Swamp Bottom."

"Oh no you don't! You're not leaving the bath house. Not until I have a contract." The threat of being stuck there was certainly real, and Chihiro folded her arms over her chest.

"Well we have to come to some kind of agreement. I want some of this debt reduced. I'm not responsible for anything from the river spirit's visit. And I am not being held accountable for employee losses after I left with my parents."

Yubaba ground her teeth, but the paper flew back across the room to her and she scratched out some of the figures. And then the paper returned to Chihiro. She scanned it, gave a nod of approval, and glanced at Haku. He didn't look thrilled that she was agreeing to a contract, but he didn't argue.

"How much are standard wages, so I know how much you're getting from every night of work." And so Yubaba couldn't make her an indentured servant for forever.

"Most of it is from tips from our generous guests, of course, but you'll earn a bit of silver per night. Enough to equate with about one gold piece a night."

That seemed low to Chihiro, but she also had no idea how spirit currency worked. Rin had taken care of any financial needs during her first experience here. And that thought made Chihiro rub her eyes. Rin...one of her first friends and mentors in the Spirit World. Did she still work here? Would Chihiro see her? She pondered over the possibility of it, and with a jolt she also remembered the boiler man, Kamajii, and his funny little soot ball minions. Had he ever made it out of the bath house?

She shook her head as if to clear it and looked to Haku for help, not sure if this was a fair wage or not. He didn't speak, but instead got to his feet and approached Yubaba. He took a pen from the table and looked over the contract, scratched something out, and then handed it back to Yubaba. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin, tight line, but when she looked on the verge of arguing, a glance from Haku made her fall silent.

"Fine. I'll triple your wages. Just don't expect to do the easy jobs when you're repaying this much debt. And I get most of your tips."

Chihiro nodded, and a pen and the contract flew toward her. She took both from the air and then slid off the chair to press the contract to the floor. In a mimicry of the first time she'd signed a work contract with the bath house, she affixed her name to the contract while kneeling beside the fireplace.

Haku, standing behind her, smiled faintly at the familiar mannerism. She finished signing her name while Yubaba muttered about swindlers and cheats, and while the old woman wasn't paying attention, she wrote her name on her left wrist. As she'd knelt before the fire, she remembered that Yubaba had stolen her name, and she also heard Haku's voice reaching through the years. "She takes your name. It's how she controls you."

"Are you done yet?" Yubaba growled.

"Yes, ma'am." Chihiro straightened up and got to her feet, carrying the contract and the pen to her desk.

A smile formed on Yubaba's lips. "Excellent. Now...how does your old name sound, Sen?" As she spoke, she passed her hand over Chihiro's written name, lifting characters from the contract until they settled in her palm.

"Yes, ma'am." A smile ghosted across Chihiro's lips, but she didn't let on that she'd outwitted the old witch.

"Good. Now both of you get out of my sight. You both work for me, and there are preparations to be done before the night begins."

With that dismissal, both Haku and Chihiro were magically jerked from the room, all the way back into the entry hall with the elevator. They stood for a moment in silence, looking first at each other and then away.

"Chihiro, do you-"

"I have it covered," she said. She held up her arm, showing him her name written on her left wrist. Haku gave her another approving look, and her cheeks flushed. She smiled and looked away. "So. Where to? Does Rin still work here? Kamajii?"

An almost palpable excitement filled her. Haku smiled, but when Chihiro saw it she recognized the sadness behind it. She didn't want to purposefully hurt him, but she got the feeling his sadness came from her not remembering him fully. She knew they were friends, that she could trust him, but there was something she was missing. An important piece of the puzzle had yet to come to light. She lightly touched his arm, and he smiled a fuller smile at her.

"Yes. They both still work here. They still look and act the same, if you can believe it."

Chihiro laughed and stepped onto the elevator alongside him. "I can believe it."

The elevator glided down several levels before they had to disembark and find a different one that went further down. As they stepped out of the elevator, one of the employees stopped to look at her. "Sen?"

She glanced at the man, her eyebrows rising. "Oh. Um. Yeah. That's me. I'm back." She tried to sound cheerful, but the words came out hesitantly.

The man didn't notice. He smiled widely. "Welcome back!"

Chihiro's eyes widened and she looked at Haku. "I guess I'm being forgiven for my human stench?"

Haku smirked. "Something like that. People remember you fondly. You caused Yubaba trouble and they can appreciate that. Things improved around here after you left. Better attitudes. Noface scared people. Made them realize their greed and self-centeredness could get them hurt."

The mention of Noface made Chihiro's mind go to work again. As they walked across one of the bridges that spanned the central floor of the bath house, she looked around and remembered, briefly, the flight from the monster. She remembered the way he'd slowly released the various people he'd eaten, transforming back into the timid creature from when she'd first encountered him. And she remembered his ultimate fate. The monster had stayed with Zeniba, away from the dangerous influences of the bath house.

She could remember these small factoids about Noface, about her time spent here...but she couldn't remember much about the man beside her on the elevator. Even though she couldn't remember much, she held his hand, taking comfort from his presence. He held hers in return, occasionally squeezing as if to reassure her...or perhaps to reassure himself. A thought struck her, that she clearly meant more to him than just a friend, but try as she might to explore her memories of him, nothing came to mind.

They exited the elevator on the first floor, and Haku casually released her hand as they made their way toward the foreman.

"Master Haku! What can I do for you tonight?"

"We have a new employee. Sen has returned to work. Can you assign her to work with Rin?"

The foreman leaned over his podium, staring at Chihiro with eyes as big as saucers. "Sen? You're back?!"

Inwardly, Chihiro wondered if this was going to be how every conversation started for the next week. She smiled, ducking her head. "Not purposefully. I just stumbled back into the Spirit Realm, I guess."

The foreman eyed her, though he smiled. "Welcome back. HEY RIN! You've got fresh meat!"

"Why do you have to stick them with me?" A familiar voice came from a room nearby, and a moment later the rice paper door slid to the side to reveal Rin. Haku had told the truth. She hadn't changed at all.

"Aww Rin. Is that any way to greet a friend?" Chihiro couldn't help herself.

Rin turned to her with her lips pursed. She rested her hands on her hips and walked up to her, looking her over. It took a minute, but something clicked, and a smile broke across her face.

"I don't believe it. Sen? Is that really you?! What are you doing back here, you big dope?" Before Chihiro could answer, she had been pulled into a bear hug by the older woman. She gasped for breath, and it was about that moment that Rin released her with a laugh. "Sorry. Got a little carried away."

"It's all right," Chihiro said with a big smile. "I'm excited to see you, too. And, uh...I don't know why I'm back here. I stumbled into the Spirit Realm on accident and now Yubaba won't let me leave. She wants me to repay my debts."

Inexplicably, Rin and Haku shared a brief look before Rin shrugged and looked back to Chihiro. "Well that's the worst. So you're stuck here again? At least you don't have to worry about your parents being carved up for bacon." She cracked a smile, and Chihiro answered it with one of her own.

"Yeah, that relieves a lot of the stress of being back. At least if it's just me I don't have to worry about my family's safety. I'm still trying to remember everything from last time, though."

"You don't remember it all? That's rough. Come on. Let's get you a change of clothes, some food, and we'll go visit Kamajii." Haku started to step away from the group, but Rin fixed him with a stare. "Oh no you don't, mister. You're coming with us."

"I don't think that's wise, Rin."

"Oh, why not?" Chihiro spoke this time, giving him wide eyes.

"I have business to see to. Yubaba was right that we both work for her…"

"Psh. Your duties can wait, dragon man. C'mon," Rin said, catching hold of his arm and dragging him along behind her.

Chihiro laughed into her hand and trailed behind them, letting Rin guide them first to the employee quarters. It didn't take nearly as much effort to find an appropriately sized outfit for her this time around. Rin tossed her the clothes and Chihiro caught them with only a minor bit of a scramble, smiling faintly at the older woman. She changed, and when she carried her clothes out from behind the rice paper screen, Haku looked her over.

"We should see if Kamajii will hide your clothes again. We don't want you to lose them in case you have to leave the bath house again."

She bit her lip and nodded. "That's a good idea. I wish I had my shoes with me still…"

"What are you two going on about? Come on. Kamajii will be excited to see you."

Rin led the way, and Chihiro followed behind her, fidgeting with her bath house uniform and getting it settled. The outfit felt strange, but comfortable, and she remembered with clarity the emotional turmoil after Rin had handed her the new clothes during her first visit.

They made a brief stop to collect breakfast for Kamajii and the soot balls, as well as themselves, and then they headed off down the elevator to the boiler room. Kamajii shouted from the other side of the sliding wooden door, and Chihiro and Rin shared an amused look as they realized he must be arguing with the soot balls again. The door slid open, and Rin pushed the tray of food and the basket of candies through before crawling in herself.

"Fighting again? Nothing ever changes with you all, does it?"

"Not my fault they're a bunch of lazy little ash clouds!"

Chihiro and Haku crawled into the boiler room and Haku slid the door shut. Kamajii, absorbed in his work, didn't notice the old friends at first. When he turned to settle down and grab his rice bowl, he stopped completely and stared at Chihiro.

"Sen?"

"Hi, Kamajii."

Silence stretched between them for a moment before he reached over with one of his six hands and lightly patted her head.

"Nice to see you again, Sen. How's the memory coming along?"

"You...you know I can't remember everything?"

Kamajii snorted. "Of course you can't. It's a part of the Spirit Realm's protections. You get as old as I am and you've seen just about everything. Including a human who makes it into the Spirit Realm twice." At this, he eyed Chihiro with a measure of uncertainty. "And that's something that is very uncommon except for...certain things. But I'm not wise enough to try and explain it all. Better leave that to Haku. Or Zeniba."

Chihiro and Rin both looked from Kamajii to Haku expectantly. He gazed at them both with his customary cool and distant look.

"I don't think now is the right time to discuss it."

"But, Haku-"

"Sen, please just trust me. Everything will be explained in time."

Silence settled over the boiler room for a few moments, aside from the sound of excited soot balls collecting and eating their hard candy breakfast, and Kamajii munching on his rice. Rin frowned, poking at her bowl of rice with her chopsticks, and then she dug in. Chihiro met Haku's green-blue gaze steadily, waiting for him to change his mind, tell her he was just kidding, or something similar. But he held steady, and with a defeated sigh, she collected her rice bowl and began to eat.

Haku gazed at her even after her eyes had dropped, a warmth spreading from his heart and to the extremities of his body. Chihiro had returned to the Spirit Realm, considerably earlier than anticipated, but she had returned. It could have meant bad, bad things, but he found it hard to worry about it with the woman right in front of him. She'd become beautiful, with the spirit that had grown during her last adventure here shining in her eyes.

And she couldn't remember him. Not properly. Not yet. It made his heart hurt. He wanted so badly to grab her and pull her to him, hug her tightly and never let her go. But to do so would put her on edge, make her uncomfortable. He wouldn't do that to her. He had to keep his distance until she remembered, but the physical separation was almost as bad as the psychological pain at her lack of memory.

After a while, he ate, looking away only to find Kamajii giving him an assessing look. Kamajii, Haku realized, understood what Chihiro's lack of complete memory meant. Kamajii smiled sadly and went back to eating. The entire group ate quietly, each lost in their own thoughts. As joyous as a reunion with Kamajii and Rin was, Chihiro still had to face the fact that she was stuck in the Spirit Realm again. Some part of her felt angry, and another part felt exhilarated. Yet another part felt worried.

"Kamajii, would you let the soot balls watch over my clothes again? I don't want any of Yubaba's minions to throw them out, just in case."

"Doesn't bother me, as long as the soot balls don't mind."

Chihiro smiled and scooted over to the edge of the area the soot balls worked in. They greeted her excitedly, and she held out her clothes. "Will you all watch over these for me?"

A variety of squeaks and bouncing soot balls met her question, and she gently lowered the clothes down into the recessed area. The soot balls marched them away while she returned to her bowl of rice. She finished eating and glanced at Rin, who sighed contently as she finished her food.

"We should get a move on. Don't want Yubaba to think you're slacking or anything. Otherwise she might increase your debt." Rin gathered dirty bowls on a tray and moved to the small door, pulling it open and sliding out. "Sen, pass me that candy basket, will you?"

Chihiro grabbed it and passed it through. She glanced up at Kamajii and smiled. "I'll come visit later!"

"Lookin' forward to it."

Haku gave a parting nod to the boiler man and followed the women back into the elevator room. Chihiro turned to him with a smile, though it was tinted with annoyance.

"You're going to tell me what you know as soon as you get a chance, right?"

Haku held his hands up to placate her. "I promise."

"Good." She turned and walked away with Rin, and Haku closed his eyes.

"C'mon, dragon breath. We've got work to do includes you, doesn't it?" He moved on over to the elevator and rode it with them to the main bath floor.

"Good luck on your first day back, Sen." And then he continued upward, leaving Rin and Chihiro to their own devices.

"He's always such a stick in the mud when work starts," Rin complained.

The daily bustle of the bath house had not changed much, if at all, and Chihiro fell into her duties as an employee with a fair amount of ease. It didn't take much to remember how to clean the floor, and she had gotten considerably stronger since she was ten. She'd also learned a great deal more about hard work. By the time they were assigned their tub for the evening, Sen had thoroughly impressed her former coworkers, and her new ones. Namely by being a decent and hard worker.

"Well, fortunately we weren't assigned the big tub," Rin said with a grin, elbowing Chihiro in the upper arm. She grinned in reply, though the thought did remind her of her first and only time helping a customer in the big tub.

"So where are we assigned?"

"One of the regular tubs near to it. The foreman said we should be expecting a particularly dangerous spirit. It's why we're helping her and not some of the guys."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Not sure. Seems like it might be a harionago, but we'll find out when she arrives."

"Is there...uh...anything I should know?"

"Just don't laugh at her or anything. Simple stuff. She's not interested in hurting women."

"Right. Which is why we're helping her."

"Yep. And look at this bath token." Rin held up one of the wooden tokens, and Sen frowned, trying to remember the different bath token classifications.

"That's a nice one."

"Yep! Yubaba must want to make a good impression."

"Is it anyone that we've ever dealt with before?"

"Eh. The foreman seemed uncertain, so I'm guessing not. Maybe a long time ago."

Chihiro nodded and set to work cleaning up the tub and scrubbing it down. It wasn't especially dirty, which made the job a lot less difficult than the first time she'd scrubbed a tub. "Hey, Rin? Does the big tub still not get scrubbed regularly?"

"Huh? No. Why bother? We only get guests who require it once every few months."

"Oh. I was just thinking that maybe if I cleaned it really well it would knock off some of my debt."

"Hmm. Maybe. You'd have to make arrangements with the foreman, but I doubt he'd mind. It's not like anyone volunteers to clean that thing."

The bath area didn't take very long to get cleaned up, and their guest was late in arrival. It left Chihiro and Rin bored, waiting in uncomfortable, stiff positions while the spirit took its time to arrive. The foreman had little information for them, but Rin's guess that it might be a harionago turned out to be correct. The appearance of the spirit was enough to have Yubaba checking in. She did not stick around to greet the woman when the spirit arrived.

"Right this way, ma'am," Rin said when the woman lowered her parasol. Chihiro had to fight not to gasp as she gazed at the spirit. The woman's appearance flickered between lovely and ghoulish. Her hair remained the same, however. Thick and wild, with wicked thorns and barbs at the end. Chihiro could remember studying harionago in mythology studies, but seeing one in person definitely made things a bit different.

The woman sauntered past Chihiro, dropping a coat of sorts into her arms. "Take care of that for me." She stated simply. Chihiro scrambled to do just that.

"Ugh. All these bath houses. I swear, it's like they're run by the same person in a different guise. They're all the same. And they never let me have any fun." The woman pouted as she spoke, licking her lips when she spied one of Chihiro's male coworkers. "I suppose letting the guests eat their employees would be bad for business. Then again, didn't someone do just that a few years ago?" She laughed, and Chihiro remembered Rin's warning. She pressed her lips together, and the guest sighed. "Oh poo. You know my secret. Well. I guess we'll just have to be friends."

Rin smiled at her and bowed as they reached the entrance to their tub. The water steamed, and the room smelled sweet with the herbal mixture in the water. The woman didn't hesitate to strip herself of her garments and take a towel before she climbed into the tub, sinking into it with a delighted purr of sound. "Ooooh. That's the spot. Soooo luxurious." She stretched her legs and arms out, her barbed hair floating along the surface of the water. "Tell me, girl, what are you doing here. You smell human."

The abrupt change in topic, and the direct address, made Chihiro go still. She looked up from where she'd been kneeling and politely looking at her knees, and she cleared her throat. "Oh. I stumbled into the Spirit Realm on accident. Mistress Yubaba was kind enough to give me a job."

The spirit's eyes gleamed as she stared Chihiro down, moving through the water to rest her chin on the edge of the tub.

"A human stumbles in...just stumbles...and Yubaba gives her a job. I don't think she did it from the kindness of her heart, though, and I don't think you're telling me the whole truth." Chihiro's mouth opened as she struggled for words, and Rin gave her an arched eyebrow and a shrug, as if to say "I don't know, make something up?" But the spirit ended the awkward silence for her. "No mind. You'll smell like spirits soon enough. It's just curious. A human in a spirit bath house. You'd better make sure your scent is good and spirit-like soon, though...I'd hate for you to traverse the spirit realm smelling like that."

Silence resonated in the small room for a moment, and Chihiro's eyes widened. "Ma'am...why would I need to traverse the spirit realm? I don't think Yubaba will let me leave the bath house any time soon."

A laugh escaped the woman, and she closed her eyes as she turned around and rested her head against the side of the tub. She positioned a towel beneath her head and sighed. "Oh...it won't matter what that old witch bitch wants. One of her employees has a bit of a problem on his hands...and she's about to make an appearance."

Rin and Chihiro glanced at each other, then looked back at the spirit. "What do you mean?"

The harionago frowned, sitting up to look at them. Her eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you haven't heard. Oh...this is too good. You mean you DON'T know? Ha." She fell back in the water with a splash. "You poor, poor souls. You are going to have a very bad time in a few days' time."

"Would you please tell us what you mean, ma'am?" Chihiro asked tentatively.

"I suppoooose. Come here, girl. Massage my shoulders and I will tell you." The spirit sat upright and Chihiro did as asked, climbing up the side of the tub. She perched there precariously and began to massage the woman's shoulders. "The word in the wide Spirit Realm is that a particularly vengeful Kiyohime is coming after one of Yubaba's henchman." She sighed as Chihiro worked the knots out of the woman's muscles...even as those muscles and the woman's form shifted slightly every few seconds. "You see, a few decades ago, he stole a very important item from her. Something for Yubaba, I'm sure. But Kiyohime doesn't care about that. She just cares about finding him. He hurt her like her priestly lover did oh-so-long-ago." A dreamy tone fell over the woman's voice, and then she laughed.

"Kiyohime has been plotting her revenge for a long while. She wants to make sure to exact it when it will have the greatest impact. Something happened recently that has made her decide it's time." She clapped once. "Revenge stories are so wonderful, don't you think?"

"Please, ma'am. Who is it that Kiyohime is after?" Chihiro had a bad feeling she knew who. Haku had been Yubaba's main henchman when she'd arrived at the bath house. She couldn't remember much, but she could remember that.

"Some dragon creature. Haku, I think is his name. Or a close approximation of his name." The spirit shrugged Chihiro's hands off and sank into the water a little deeper. "Not my problem, but I thought I'd see the bath house in question before Kiyohime comes and destroys it."

Rin had stayed quiet for the exchange, but she looked decidedly panicked. She glanced at Chihiro, mouth "be right back", and casually slipped out of the room, darting off to find a higher-up in the bath house.

Rin didn't return until their spirit was almost finished bathing, and she sidled back into the room just as the woman straightened up and stretched. "Well. That's enough of that. I suppose you two deserve some kind of tip." She pressed a few gold token into both Rin and Chihiro's hands, then slid on her freshly cleaned and pressed clothes.

When they had escorted the spirit out, they turned back from the door, only to face Yubaba, Haku, and Chichiyaku - the bath house manager. "Now, Rin. Tell us again what she said." Chichiyaku spoke in that calm, pleasant voice of his, the one he always adopted when things were going utterly wrong and he hoped desperately to make it right. Rin took a deep breath and reiterated everything the harionago had told her and Chihiro. Yubaba and Haku shared a dark look, while Chichiyaku waved his hands in the air and shook his head.

"Surely it's a mistake! I mean…" He hesitated, looking to Haku and Yubaba. "Isn't it?"

Yubaba growled out something about a magical bell and walked away without a word. Chichiyaku spared them a glance, then hurried after her, leaving Rin, Haku, and Chihiro alone.

Chihiro eyed Haku, who stood tall and with his back straight, his face impassive despite the moment of concern he'd shared with Yubaba. "Rin, I'm going to get some fresh air before we have to pick up our next customer. Do you mind?"

"Nah. Go on ahead. I might need some air after that customer, too."

Chihiro gave Haku a brief, pointed look, and led the way out into one of the bath house courtyards.

"Chihiro…"

"What are we going to do? Who is Kiyohime? You and Yubaba looked really worried."

"She's an angry spirit. She transformed into a serpent when she was spurned by the man she loved, and she killed him by melting a bell around him."

Chihiro absorbed that information before she offered her next question. "Why does she want to come after you?"

Haku grimaced, clearly unhappy that he had to tell her about it. He turned, paced away, came back, and looked her full in the face. "When I was fully under Yubaba's spell, before I ever met you, I went to Kiyohime and befriended her. Yubaba wanted a small version of the bell that Kiyohime had crafted from the melted one. It had magical properties."

"And Yubaba wants anything magical she can get her grubby hands on."

Haku smiled faintly. "Something like that."

"So go on."

His smile disappeared. "I tricked her into giving me the bell."

"Simple as that?"

"It's safer if you don't know the full details."

"You never give me the full story," Chihiro complained.

He had the good sense to look ashamed. "I want to tell you more, but until you have all of your memories back, adding more to the confusion won't help anything."

"Huh." Chihiro looked thoughtful, and she turned her head to look away. When she looked back, she began to say something else...only for Haku's lips to meet hers. At first, she could only stare at him as he kissed her. Surprise flooded through her at the boldness of his action, and she inhaled sharply as he tightened his grip on her, holding her a little closer. She started to lean into him, when a warning bell went off in her head.

Haku had been Yubaba's right hand man for a long time. Was part of his job to placate her? Trick her? She didn't have anything Yubaba wanted, but maybe having someone to care for would help her remain docile in the bath house? The thought made Chihiro tense, and she pulled away from Haku at the same time she pushed on his chest.

He fell back and landed on his butt a bit harder than Chihiro had intended, but she quickly straightened up.

"I'm sorry, Haku. Until I remember everything...I can't...I don't want to...well…" She hesitated, fighting to find the right words. Eventually she gave up and gave him a helpless shrug.

Haku stood up and shook his head, his long hair pushed back by one hand as he managed an embarrassed smile. "Please don't apologize, Chihiro. I'm...I got ahead of myself, is all. I'm the one who should, and will, apologize. Please accept my apologies, Miss Chihiro." He bowed to her. He held that position until Chihiro murmured an acceptance, offering her forgiveness. He looked up, gave her a nod, and walked away. While he managed to look casual, Chihiro could sense the urge to escape the awkward moment hurrying his steps.

Chihiro watched him go, and almost called out to him. Something held her back, however, and the door slid shut. She sighed, her eyes closing.

"Way to go, numbskull," she muttered.

* * *

A/N: And here is chapter two! For those of you who might be wondering, I am going to try and stick to a weekly update schedule. My plan is to update every Tuesday (unless something catastrophic happens, of course). I am currently working on chapter five, so at the very least, the next two weeks' updates are ready to go.

Please feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think so far!


	3. Chapter 3

Legal Disclaimer: This is a fanfic. I own none of the characters, nor the setting. Don't sue me.

**While You Were Gone**

**Chapter One**

* * *

If he were the type to bang his head on the wall repeatedly, he'd be doing it right now. In all the centuries he had been alive, he had never experienced as mortifying a moment as the one he had experienced very early this morning, before the sun had risen. He still wasn't sure what had overcome him. He had just...done it. Kissed her. And summarily been shoved away. He could tell she didn't mean to violently reject him. He understood. Hell, he knew better than she did that he needed to back off.

She had to remember on her own terms. She couldn't be influenced by him, by anyone. No one was certain how she'd made it back to the spirit realm. If you had stumbled in once, the spirit realm naturally diverted you until your time of death. But Chihiro wasn't dead. Haku could sense her life force, he knew she lived and breathed and ate as a living human. Not as a spirit. So how? Time would tell, and so would Chihiro's memories.

He stared out from his perch high up on the bath house, and frowned when he glanced down at the bridge and recognized a particular brown ponytail. She was up? He considered letting her be. No sense straining things further between them. A few minutes consideration had him transforming as he jumped off of the balcony, though. He changed again just before he landed, touching the wooden planks silently.

Chihiro didn't notice him right away. She looked very focused as she stared down at the train tracks below.

"Chihiro?"

She jumped, gasping and turning as though prepared to attack. She relaxed when she realized who it was, however.

"Haku. Do you want to get smacked in the face? I know I don't look all that intimidating, but it doesn't take much for me to go all crazy kung-fu style on you."

He couldn't help but laugh. "I am sorry, Chihiro. I'll remember that in the future."

"It's best you do," she said it so solemnly that even she cracked up. "I just came out here because I remembered something. About my first visit here. It's starting to come back faster, I think. I feel like I'm remembering snippets of conversation and moments in the bath house with increasing speed…"

"What did you remember this time?"

She twirled a strand of hair around one fingertip, motioning for Haku to walk with her. She started walking, leading the way from the bridge toward the pig pens and the large garden area that had, once upon a time, been where Haku had given her clothes and name back to her.

"I remembered you. Sort of. I know it's not everything. But I remembered when you gave me my clothes back. And the card with my name on it."

Haku blushed. A smile ghosted across his lips. "I remember that. After Rin and the others had made you think I didn't care. Because they only knew me as Master Haku."

She grinned. "A title that hasn't changed!" She elbowed him in the arm.

He rubbed the spot she'd elbowed and snorted. "I'm as surprised as you are. I thought Yubaba would demote me at best. Or kick me out of the bath house at worst. Not that it would have been that terrible. The spirit realm is vast. I would have found a new place."

"So why did you stay?"

He hesitated on answering. "It...had more to do with you than I care to admit."

Chihiro's eyebrows rose. "How so?"

"I wanted to wait until you returned to the spirit realm, is all."

A shy silence stretched between them as they both fell into their own thoughts. She managed to acknowledge his explanation with a small nod of understanding before she turned to gaze at the sky. It effectively let both of them compose themselves.

"You took really good care of me last time I was here. Especially considering how annoying I was."

He laughed. "You weren't that bad."

"I cried and freaked out about everything."

"Only for the first night. And you didn't cry and freak out over everything. Only a few things. Considering that you were confused, your parents had been turned into pigs, and the tiny creek had turned into a vast ocean of water, I'd say you held up remarkably well."

"I tried to shove you away when you fed me a berry. And when you told me to hold my breath while we crossed the bridge? Or! When you gave me directions to Kamajii and told me not to make a sound? I screamed the whole way down those stairs. I was such a brat."

Unable to contain it, he laughed again, dropping back to a seat on the grass. "I know. It's all right, though. You learned a lot. And besides...aside from the very beginning, you were quite strong."

"I broke down when Rin got me a shirt."

"Did you break down crying after that?"

"Uh…When you gave me my clothes and stuff."

"That was also understandable."

"It doesn't work when you give me a free pass for everything!" Chihiro laughed and turned to him, hands on her hips. She took a seat beside him, playfully bumping him with her shoulder.

"Your attempt to paint yourself as an annoying child was always destined to fail."

"Pfft. Please. I know how I was no matter what you say!"

Haku shook his head and glanced at her, only to catch her eye as she glanced at him. Instead of quickly looking away, they held one another's gaze. He searched her eyes for some hint that she understood things between them better, for some sign that more of their past relationship was returning to her. Admittedly, it wasn't a lot to jump from. They had been friends. He had saved her once when she was very young. But when she had helped him remember his name, and helped him return to himself, a bond had been forged. It was the type of spiritual bond that rarely occurred in a realm full of greedy and self-absorbed spirits. The bond had kept him in the bath house, waiting, hoping, that her spirit might one day return.

An uncomfortable awareness filled him, that if she wasn't dead in the mortal world, she would have the choice to return to it or stay when the time came. Haku had watched her leave once already. He didn't know if he could watch her leave again. Especially now that she was older. He knew he would have to, though, if that was her choice.

Chihiro nudging him with her elbow brought him back to the present. "Are you all right, Haku? You look kind of out of it."

He cleared his throat. "I'm fine. Sorry. Just remembered some business I have to attend to."

"Oh." She looked a little crestfallen, but she nodded, getting to her feet. "That's fair. I should be getting some rest, anyway. Long night tonight."

He smiled at her and got up as well, holding his arms open in a silent offer. She hugged him. "I will see you this evening."

"All right. See you later, Haku." Chihiro took a step back from him and he turned, walked away, and transformed into his other self, taking off before he could think better of it.

Chihiro watched him until he disappeared in the distance, and then she slowly turned and looked up at the bath house. A sigh eased across her lips, and she headed back. She wanted to talk to Rin, especially since Haku had such an odd reaction just now. His mood had changed so abruptly, and he had seemed so sad. She closed her eyes, remembering the look on his face. He acted like the guy who had a crush on her two years ago.

Right around the time that she thought he might work up the nerve to tell her he wanted to date her, he'd been informed that he and his parents were moving. He'd had a similarly sad look on his face when he'd explained his feelings to her.

She thought that over as she made her way back inside and settled down on her bedroll. The various bath house employees were snoozing contently around her, snoring and shifting, occasionally mumbling. She thought she would be too restless to sleep, but the moment her eyes closed, she drifted off.

She awoke to Rin prodding her in the side with her toe, holding two bowls of porridge. "Heeey. Wake up! Come on! We don't have a lot of time before we need to start working!"

Chihiro sat up and rubbed her eyes, her hair falling haphazardly around her face. Bedhead had given her a decidedly wild appearance.

"Finally. Jeez, Sen. You sleep like a rock. Here, got you breakfast. Just like old times."

Chihiro took the bowl and yawned. A quick glance around the room showed her that most everyone was awake, their bedrolls cleared away as they hustled off to get the bath house ready for another evening.

"Rin...why won't anyone just tell me everything that happened last time I was here?"

The other woman looked up, three spoonfuls of porridge already shoved into her mouth so that her cheeks bulged a little. She swallowed after a moment of consideration, took a deep breath, and looked down at her bowl. "I don't know for sure, really. I mean...That's not my area of expertise, Sen. I think...I think maybe Haku is just trying to make sure you remember everything correctly, with no outside interference or influence."

"But if they're my memories, surely I'll remember them correctly whether someone tries to mislead me or not."

"Maybe. The human world's form of coercion is a little less insidious than the spirit world's. People here...really powerful spirits, they can replace your memories if you let yourself believe. Yubaba probably could."

Chihiro grimaced at that. "So what's stopped her so far? I mean, really?"

"Friends, people who care. I'm sure Haku has played a big part in limiting her power over what you do and don't remember."

"I remembered almost all of my interactions with Yubaba really quickly, though. I know I beat her."

"Yeah, but Yubaba could make life hard for you in other ways. She could make you think old friends are enemies. Or make you think someone you loved was just a friend and someone who was just a friend had like...I dunno."

"Had rejected you."

"Yeah! Somethin' like that. I dunno why you're dwelling on it, though. Haku, Kamajii, and I...we're going to make sure that Yubaba doesn't interfere until you remember everything."

Chihiro smiled. "Thanks, Rin."

Rin grinned back at her and promptly resumed eating. She clearly believed the conversation was done.

"Rin?"

"Mmff?"

"Haku seemed really surprised to see me back in the spirit realm. Is it uncommon for people to come here more than once?"

"Mmf. Well. It'sh mor like…" Rin swallowed again and sighed. "It's more like, it's uncommon for living people to come to the spirit realm more than once. Normally if you make it here once when you're alive...and then leave...you're really lucky. Twice is pretty much unheard of, though there are some notable exceptions."

"So...Wait, am I supposed to be dead?"

"What?! No! No no no. Sen." Rin rolled her eyes as though Chihiro were the biggest dope in the world. "Of course you're not dead. You still have all that life energy and stuff. If you were dead, we'd know!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I've been here for ages." Rin grinned at her, and Chihiro nodded, smiling after a moment.

"Okay. Thanks, Rin. I felt a little worried."

"No problem. And hey, just think...it means that clearly you're here for something super important. Even if we don't know it yet. You're going to be one of the greats. Some sort of spirit world hero who helps right the imbalance between mortal plane and spirit realm."

Chihiro rolled her eyes. "I don't think so, Rin. But thanks for the vote of confidence."

"I'm just saying. There's a reason you're here...and it isn't because you're dead."

Rin seemed so confident in that fact that Chihiro couldn't help but feel confident, too. Rin was a spirit, after all. She would know better. Chihiro scarfed down her food quickly, before it go too cold, and handed her bowl back to Rin while she rolled up her bedding and got changed into her work clothes. Another night, another strict set of opening procedures to follow. They cleaned the floors, and Rin and Chihiro were sent to the big tub...with the promise that they would have enough time to clean it really well before a customer was sent their way (unlike the last time).

Some of the other employees even helped where they could. An employee that Chihiro had never met before, named Jaken, helped to scrub and scrape a lot of the sludge off the tub with a special tool he had invented...apparently for just such a purpose.

Jaken looked, in some ways, similar to Rin. He had a similarly structured face, and his hair was the same color. His eyes were different. Where Rin's were a warm brown, his were more golden in color. He was taller than Rin, who was still taller than Chihiro, and leanly muscled. Judging from the way Rin looked at him when he wasn't paying attention, Chihiro could guess that the new guy had quickly made an impression on her friend.

"See. If you scrape it this way, it cuts right down to the tub. Give a pull, and the sludge starts peeling off like a fruit peel! Here Rin, come and try it." Jaken motioned her down, and Rin glanced at Chihiro who gave her an encouraging nod. She slid down into the tub, and walked up to the handle of the glorified scraper. Jaken stood behind her and rested his hands on her arms, helping her get into the proper position while Chihiro looked on from above. A grin formed on her lips, and when Rin shot her a wide-eyed look she rolled onto her back and slid down the tub a couple of feet, hiding her laughter.

That, however, slid her right into Haku. She looked up at him, laughter still on her lips, but her smile faded at the serious look on his face. "Haku? What's wrong?"

He blinked, and the serious look disappeared as he smiled. "What? Oh. Nothing. I just came by to check in on you two. There's a very important spirit visiting tonight and Yubaba wanted to be sure the big tub would be cleaned to his liking."

Chihiro grinned. "See for yourself." She gestured over her shoulder, and Haku arched an eyebrow. He walked up the side of the tub and peeked over...and turned as red as Chihiro had ever seen him as he quickly came back down the side of the tub.

"Well. This may take longer than expected."

"Wait, what?!" Chihiro rolled onto her stomach and crawled up to the edge. When she peered over, she gasped, then grinned, at the sight of Rin and Jaken having a bit of a liplock. She pulled herself up to sit on the edge, her feet dangling down into the tub. "Well, well, well!" She said, making the entwined couple jump and break apart. "And here I thought you were getting some work done!"

Rin had turned red, but Jaken played it off with a grin and a shrug. "Well, there's always time for breaks, eh Sen?"

"Suuure. Just maybe not when we have a guest on the way."

"Fair. Fair. I'll back off...for now." He grinned and winked at Rin, kissing her one more time before he climbed out of the tub. "Just bring my scraper back to me after your shift, lovely lady."

Rin laughed, "Only if you promise not to act like some sort of cheesy dreamboat again."

"I can't make any promises, but I will try to keep myself in check."

Chihiro snorted and had to hide her laughter again as she glanced back at Haku, who shook his head and smiled.

"Haku wants to know how long the tub will take to prep, Rin."

"Not long, not with this thing. Give me fifteen minutes? You can go get a token from the foreman." Rin gave her a wicked smirk. "And get some alone time with Hakuuuu."

Chihiro took her turn to blush, and she got to her feet and turned to Haku without acknowledging the tease. "So what spirit is it? And what type of bath token should we get him?"

Haku cleared his throat, having heard Rin, and smiled once more. "Ah. It's an old ocean spirit, so I'd say something salty. Come on. We'll go talk to the foreman." He offered her his arm, and Chihiro took it after only a brief hesitation.

They walked in silence all the way to the foreman. After a bit of consideration, the foreman selected a token for them, and he gave it to Chihiro. "Enjoy. Hopefully it's strong enough. This spirit is very particular."

With that ominous thought in mind, Chihiro turned to Haku who gave a slight shrug. "He is very particular."

"Great. And I'm the one helping him? Why do I feel like this is a set up on Yubaba's part?" She huffed softly, and Haku laughed.

"It's not a set up. Yubaba knows you're a good employee. So does everyone else. They thought you and Rin were the best choice for this guest is all."

"Oh I'm sure Yubaba did." Chihiro glanced at Haku, giving him a "really?" kind of look. He shrugged.

"Believe what you will. I'm just saying, it's not a set up."

"Okay. Okay. But if something goes horribly wrong? I am just saying, it was probably a set up."

Haku didn't reply, and Chihiro fell into her own thoughts. She did seem to get a lot of old and powerful spirits. The woman last night...the river spirit from her first adventure here. She had the feeling that it was deliberate. Who put their newest employee on duty with a big, tough tub and a potentially difficult spirit? Yubaba had. And while the bath house workers didn't dislike her anymore, she had a feeling that their admiration for her wasn't that high. She pushed her free hand through the loose strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail, her thoughts drifting to the ocean spirit. She hoped that nothing went wrong. She couldn't afford for anything to go wrong. She didn't want her debts to Yubaba to increase.

When they reached the big tub, Haku released her arm and bowed to her before he departed for his regular duties, and Chihiro wandered up to the tub to see how Rin's work on the tub scum went. She was surprised at how clean it looked. Rin had scraped out the sludged and carried it away, and now she sat at the bottom of the tub, a scrub brush and bucket of soapy water beside her. "Seeeen. Can you take over? My arms are killing me!"

Chihiro laughed as she slid down, passing her the soap token. "I suppose I could do some scrubbing. It's only fair. That was a fast job on the sludge, though. Did Jaken's scraper help that much?" Chihiro smiled at Rin with a knowing look, and Rin smiled dreamily.

"Yeah. It did a great job."

Chihiro picked up the scrub brush and dunked it in the water. She started working on the tub's walls, amazed at how the remaining sludge came away so quickly. "So. Tell me about Jaken. He was missing from your updates about life in the bath house last night." A glance over her shoulder told her what she'd already hoped for. Rin was blushing furiously.

"He's a weasel spirit. Like me. I haven't seen another weasel spirit in...oh...I don't know. Over a decade? Before you first came here. And that spirit was old and ugly and mean."

Chihiro snickered as she focused on scrubbing. She ignored the ache in her arms that had quickly started. Instead she moved around the tub, making sounds of encouragement as Rin spoke.

"But...he, umm...He's very similar to me. And he's cute. Also, he knows the part of the spirit realm I'm from. He's from the same area." A dreamy sigh escaped her as she flopped back, laying on the floor of the tub to stare up and up and up at the distant ceiling. "That was our first kiss. Employees aren't supposed to fraternize like that. I mean...we all still do...but I've never been seriously interested like I am now."

Chihiro shook her head and wiped the sweat off her forehead with her arm. Rin definitely had it bad. She finished scrubbing with a sigh and tossed the scrub brush in the bucket. "Let's get out of here and get the water going."

Rin sat up. "Sounds good to me." She got up, and both women climbed out of the tub. Chihiro passed Rin the bucket before she followed her up and out. "So hey...did you ever find out what happened with Haku and Kiyohime?" She asked it a little quietly, uncertainly.

Chihiro frowned. She walked over the wall with the hidden panel, but stopped to admire the scene painted on it. "He wouldn't tell me anything except that Yubaba sent him to steal from her. Something important."

She hunted for the panel for a moment before she popped it open. She hooked the bath token to the clip that hung there, pulled, released, and watched it disappear before she shut the panel. When she turned around, Rin stood with her arms crossed, watching Chihiro and waiting for her to say something else.

"That's all I know, Rin. He won't tell me anything else."

"Tch. Typical. You're finally back and he still has to keep his secrets." Rin seemed on the verge of a rant.

"Sen, Rin, your guest is about to arrive."

Rin went rigid and quickly ran up the tub as the water spout descended from the wall. She pulled the rope to start the water flow, then glanced at Sen. "Do you want to greet him?"

"I guess." Chihiro took a deep breath and followed the foreman out to the main entrance. A large, inhuman creature with tentacles and four eyes approached. The skin was a mottled blue, the mouth a frightening, gaping maw. The spirit had dagger-like teeth. They looked as though they could skewer a person much bigger than Chihiro, and the thought made her swallow hard. It moved slowly, and from what Chihiro could see, didn't maneuver well on land. Why was an ocean spirit coming to a bath house? She supposed for the same reason that the river spirits came to the bath house. Then again...She didn't know if the one she had helped those years ago had ever returned.

The spirit reached the bridge and shuffled its way forward, staring at Chihiro and the foreman (and with a shock, Chihiro realized Yubaba was beside her as well). The old witch smiled her sickeningly sweet smile as she bowed to the spirit. Chihiro did the same.

"Welcome, welcome! Sen will lead you to your bath, sir. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you." She glanced at Chihiro before she straightened, eyes narrowed menacingly. The look said it all. Chihiro could not mess this up.

The spirit bowed slightly to her and she inhaled deeply. "Welcome, sir. Please follow me!" She smiled and bowed again, leading the spirit back to the tub with a slow, steady pace. The spirit followed wordlessly, either because it couldn't talk or had no desire to. This spirit was remarkably different from the one the night before. When they reached the big tub, the spirit migrated to the tub and immediately sank into the water, a sound not unlike whale song escaping it as the water level went up high enough that some of it spilled over the sides.

Unlike the last time this had happened, the spirit's entrance to the tub did not result in disgusting sludge everywhere, and Chihiro felt relieved for that. She and Rin moved around the room, making sure their guest was comfortable and liked the water. They had to watch their step, the water on the floor making it somewhat slick. Rin was used to it. Chihiro less so.

Things seemed, overall, to be going well. The spirit settled in comfortably, tentacle-like limbs stretched out over the edge of the tub and trailing to the floor. Chihiro made note to keep a wide berth of the limbs. She didn't want to step on them, or anything like that. Part of her just didn't want the spirit to sweep her up and eat her. That would put something of a damper on her whole plan to pay Yubaba back and escape the bath house one day.

Rin had climbed up behind the spirit and was carefully massaging the tense looking parts of the spirit's body. The spirit sank a little lower into the water with a content sigh, and Chihiro managed a small smile. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as she thought. She relaxed a bit, and walked carefully around the bath. She had planned to use warm stones as part of one of the bath house's massage services...but of course nothing ever seemed to go completely right.

The water that had splashed onto the floor that Chihiro had managed not to slip in finally managed to knock her off balance, and she gasped as she slipped, falling backward. The tentacle beneath her was soft, squishier than she'd expected, but also apparently quite sensitive. When she landed on the tentacle, the spirit unleashed a deep, painfully loud cry, a sound that seemed like a whale in distress. The tentacle knocked her off and threw her into the wall. Her body collided roughly with the wood, and she exhaled forcefully as her palms struck the wood. "Oh crap."

The spirit rose from the tub with another wail, the tentacle cradled against its body. Rin looked up at the creature with wide eyes, her lips parted in surprise. She glanced at Chihiro, then back to the spirit. Before it could make its departure she ran around to the front, placating the creature with soothing words. Her hands were held up, begging forgiveness for her clumsy cohort.

At first it seemed like the placations might work. The spirit hesitated, blinking and peering down at Rin with all four eyes. Chihiro carefully made her way over to stand beside her, bowing and quickly asking forgiveness for her clumsiness.

That, apparently, was not the right thing to do. At the sight of her, the spirit went a little mad, tentacles flailing and crashing into the walls. Walls collapsed, and the occupants of other bath areas shrieked in surprise and fear. Chihiro saw the tentacle coming for her again, this time with the intent to grasp (or so she thought) rather than the intent to smack her aside. She braced herself, uncertain if she should run or if she would be all right staying put.

Someone's hand snaked around her wrist and yanked her backward a moment before the creature's tentacle reached her. She stumbled, and looked around to find Haku standing in front of her, blocking her from the spirit's view. The spirit angrily smashed another wall, and Haku spoke quickly, his voice calm, soothing.

"The girl meant no harm, great spirit. It was an accident. She apologizes profusely for any pain or insult she caused you, and Yubaba and I will see that a fitting punishment is bestowed upon her."

Silence stretched through the room, and it seemed as if the entire bath house held its breath. The spirit made another wailing sound, and it promptly smashed another dividing wall. The wailing continued, but Haku didn't seem bothered. He simply stared at the spirit.

"I presented you our terms. If you insist on destroying the bath house I will have to ask you to leave, however."

More wailing from the spirit, but it did begin to leave. Haku carefully maneuvered so that Chihiro was hidden from sight while the spirit began to depart.

"Rin, please see our guest to the door."

Rin looked at Haku like he was crazy, but she quickly rushed forward. She bowed, offering her apologies, and turned to lead the spirit away.

More silence filled the bath house, and Chihiro took a shaky breath. This was definitely a bigger mess up that letting NoFace into the bath house. She could just tell. Well, maybe not bigger, but it was definitely still up there. The silence stretched and stretched until Rin returned, looking shaky. "He's gone."

It was as though someone had unmuted a television. The bath house exploded in chatter. Haku turned to Chihiro, searching her face. "Yubaba is going to add all this to your debt," he said quietly.

"I know," she murmured, a dejected tone to her voice.

As if he had been introducing her, Yubaba appeared, descending through the air. She landed lightly beside Haku, and he took a step back.

"You stupid girl! We'll be lucky if that spirit ever comes back here! I had to give him a complimentary bath because of you. And he destroyed rooms! Look at this mess!" She made an annoyed sound as she glanced around. "This is being added to your debt, Sen!" Haku glanced at Chihiro as Yubaba turned to the assembled employees. "What are you idiots waiting for? Start cleaning this mess up immediately! I want this place in perfect condition before our next illustrious guest arrives! And make sure that we are giving complimentary baths to our dear guests in the neighboring rooms." She motioned to the guests standing beside the broken walls.

Yubaba turned and came back to Chihiro. "This place had better be spotless before Haku's little problem shows up."

Chihiro scrunched her nose. "Then why don't you do some of your magic. She could show up any time."

Yubaba scoffed. "And deprive you of an opportunity to learn more about hard work? I think not."

Chihiro inhaled, about to fire back, when a frog spirit came racing up to Yubaba. "Ma'am! Mistress! Mistress Yubaba! We have another problem!"

Yubaba ground her teeth and closed her eyes, pressing her left thumb and index finger against the bridge of her nose. "What is it?"

"There is a woman on the bridge."

"What about her?"

"She's demanding to see Haku."

* * *

A/N: Chapter three! Just an fyi, I updated chapters one and two with some edits. Primarily, there is a little more added to the intro of chapter one, and the ending of chapter two has been altered slightly. I didn't like the pacing my original chapter ending created, so it has been changed. For new readers, this is not a problem. For my followers, please be aware that the edit does change some of Chihiro's understanding of the Kiyohime situation.

Thank you to my wonderful reviewers! Your reviews are very encouraging and have definitely helped keep my inspiration flowing!

As always, please feel free to leave a review.

See you next Tuesday!


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